Klarinet Archive - Posting 000460.txt from 1999/12

From: Neil Leupold <leupold_1@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Colorado Symphony
Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1999 13:25:31 -0500

--- Tim Roberts <timr@-----.com> wrote:

> Last night, I happened to catch the Colorado Symphony on PBS in their
> "Jazz for Orchestra" concert. I was particularly struck by their
> performance of Rhapsody In Blue. I thought the clarinettist did a
> fabulous job; very expressive

To put it indelicately, was this pianist blind? I seem to remember
a Marcus Roberts who played in a Wynton Marsalis jazz combo some
years back -- a wonderful player, with remarkable expressivness
and technique.

> Now I'm wondering how common this is. EVERY other performance of
> Rhapsody I've heard has been nearly note-for-note faithful to the
> original. Are their other performers who interpret it so freely,
> and so successfully?

I played a performance of Rhapsody with an orchestra in the Dallas
area, and the soloist took liberties alright -- to the point of being
grotesque, however. Some orchestra members were impressed by his
technique, but I found myself cringing throughout the performance,
especially during the cadenzas. It was kind of like watching an
amateurish drum solo in a jazz band, where the set drummer was once
a wannabe head-banger with a rock band. You know how it goes: they
swing along nicely with bass, snare, and high-hat, and then when their
solo comes along, they turn into "Animal" from the muppets. Our piano
soloist metamorophosed from Gershwin to Liszt to Rachmaninov to Cage
throughout his performance. It was so disjoint, I had a headache by
the end of the concerto. Ugh.

-- Neil
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